: Chynna T. Laird
: Not Just Spirited A Mom's Sensational Journey with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
: Loving Healing Press
: 9781615998845
: 1
: CHF 5.20
:
: Familie
: English
: 174
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB

What would you do if your child suffered with something so severe it affected every aspect of her life?
And what if your cries for help fell on deaf ears at every turn? You'd follow your gut and fight until someone listened. And that's what Chynna Laird did. When she was just three months old, Jaimie's reactions to people and situations seemed odd. She refused any form of touch, she gagged at smells, she was clutzy and threw herself around and spent most of her day screaming with her hands over her ears and eyes.
By the time she turned two, Jaimie was so fearful of her world they spent most days inside. What was wrong with Chynna's miracle girl? Why wouldn't anyone help her figure it out? Jaimie wasn't 'just spirited' as her physician suggested nor did she lack discipline at home. When Jaimie was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) at two-and-a-half, Chynna thought she had 'the answer,' but that was just the start of a three-year quest for the right treatments to bring the Jaimie she loved so much out for others to see. With the right diagnosis and treatment suited to Jaimie, this family finally felt hope. Not Just Spirited is one mother's journey to finding peace for her daughter, Jaimie. As Chynna says often, 'Knowledge breeds understanding. And that's so powerful.'
Parents and Therapists PraiseNot Just Spirited
'Chynna's memoir is sure to encourage other parents to advocate with the same determination for their own sensational children.'
--Carol Kranowitz, authorThe Out-of-Sync Child
'I only wish I had this book earlier. Even though my daughter and I live with this every day, I learned a lot from this book, and will return to my family with renewed hope and energy!'
--Nancy Pfortmiller
'Chynna's words touched my heart. Her memoir validated the overwhelming feelings I went through myself with my own daughter's struggles with her SPD. Raising and loving a child with severe SPD is draining for both your mind and your physical body. However, with a strong faith in God and the instincts only a mother can have, there is hope. Not Just Spirited will fill your soul with spirit and give you the strength needed to endure your own child's challenging behaviors, leading you on an enlightening journey of acceptance, strength, hope, and healing.'
--Diane M. Renna, authorMeghan's World: The Story of One Girl's Triumph over SPD
Learn more at www.LilyWolfWords.ca
FAM012000 Family& Relationships : Children with Special Needs
PSY004000 Psychology : Developmental - Child
HEA046000 Health& Fitness : Children's Health

Introduction – Good Things Happen To Those Who Wait


It was a task I'd done a million times—something as simple as changing my 15-month-old daughter, Jaimie's, diaper. But her reaction to such a mundane chore sent a chill through my bones.

“No!” Jaimie screamed as I laid her back on the change table.

“Be still, sweetie. This'll only take a minute.”

Instead of calming her, my voice seemed to upset her more. She covered her ears with her hands, screwed her eyes shut, and banged her head against the table. “No, no, noooooooooooooo!” she screeched, the dull thud of her head against the wood emphasizing every ‘no’.

Only when her feet touched the ground again did her hands come off her ears and her screaming cease. I watched her run from the room, leaving me with ringing in my ears and heaviness in my heart. Fighting back tears of frustration, I knew something was very wrong. This just wasn't normal.

From an outsider's perspective, this would seem somewhat normal behavior for a toddler. However, Jaimie's behavior wasn't stemming from not getting her way. As we found out later on, she was unable to cope in the world around her and wasn't able to communicate this to me in any other way. Adding to her frustration was her total dislike of being held, comforted, or otherwise touched. Jaimie was basically trapped in a struggle between wanting to be comforted and touched but her body being utterly repulsed by the feeling of touch. Everyone thought I was nuts, but justknew something was wrong with Jaimie as early as three months into her life.

While other wee ones seemed comforted with touching, hugs, and kisses, Jaimie was the opposite. Whenever we picked her up, she struggled and screamed but calmed down, somewhat, as soon as we put her back down. As she grew, the small odd things I'd noticed about her temperament grew with her: she adjusted slowly to change, startled easily, rarely smiled or laughed, and was so afraid of other people that I spent entire visits or shopping trips with Jaimie clinging desperately to me. A simple, “Hi there!” from a stranger, or even her own Daddy, triggered tears immediately.

On top of this, Jaimie had terrible fits where she hurt herself in some way—such as head banging, biting herself or other people/objects, scratching herself, or pulling out her hair—on purpose.

Whenever I addressed my concerns with family or friends, I was made to feel I was reading too much into things because I was a first time mom. Even Jaimie's pediatrician said her behavior was simply chalked up to “spiritedness” and we just needed to have patience with her.

“She'll grow out of this stage soon enough,” he said at the end of each visit.

When Jaimie's behavior worsened to the point where she had fits for hours at a time every day, I knew she needed help far beyond what I could handle on my own. When she was about two and a half, Jaimie's pediatrician finally listened to my pleas and directed us to an Early Intervention Program. After only one visit, the occupational therapist (OT), named Donna, who specialized in children with sensory issues, was able to deduce Jaimie's behavior down to three words: Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) [At the time, she'd called it Sensory Integration Dysfunction, or SID.]

While reading our story, it's important for people to remember that Jaimie's form of SPD is quite severe, with all her sensory systems being affected at some level. It's also important to remember that Jaimie's for